By Jinggoy I. Salvador 

They say art imitates life. It’s true for Dabawenya Mary Anne Tan, otherwise known as Mean. 

Artist, teacher, businesswoman, traveler, daughter, mother are among the many hats she wears. Her vivid works are heavily inspired by her daily life, children, and encounters with Mother Nature’s beauty. Having lived here and abroad, she has had her style influenced by Western and Filipino artists alike, such as Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michael Basquiat, Rodel Tapaya, Charlie Co, and Rodney Yap. She may be steeped in the world of contemporary art, but she also admires works by classical artists like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Amedeo Modigliani. 

Although she is adept at oil paints, acrylics, watercolors, and graphites, mediums she works with for decades now, Mean also challenges herself by experimenting with other mediums. “I believe it is essential to break free from conventions and find new ways to express myself,” she says. At the moment, she has been honing her skills on rubbing cutting and printing, looking forward to teaching the technique to burgeoning young artists in the future. 

“Beauty surrounds us. We witness it while traveling in distant lands and even within the confines of our own home,” says Mean. “But there are times we take the luxury of appreciating this gift for granted.” 

She will convey this message to her audience in her upcoming 2024 solo exhibition, “Hiraya’t Mga Halimuyak,” which will run at the Patio Gallery of La Herencia Art Space in Davao City, from Nov. 11 to 19.

The artist will exhibit over 40 artworks in a variety of mediums, including paintings on pots and boxes, prints, and mixed media on paper. Mean allows us to get lost and bask in the charm of the ordinary and be transported to the calm of the everyday.

Through her exhibit, Mean will acquaint us with her reverence for nature, her joys from travels, her regard for family, and her vibrant dreams. From the serene coasts of Japan to the blossoming flowers in her garden, interspersed with the friendly faces of her loved ones, she allows us to embark on our own journey. Truly, this collection is a celebration of life’s charms and joys.

A teacher at heart, Mean will be imparting her knowledge in the art of printmaking to children on Nov. 16.

Mary Anne “Mean” Tan is a contemporary Filipino artist born and raised in Davao City. She is best known for landscapes and figures in oil paints, acrylics, watercolors, and graphite. 

Before making a splash in the Philippine art scene, Mean received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising from the College of the Holy Spirit in Mendiola, Manila. Her undergraduate degree notwithstanding, she struggled to find work as an artist and settled for a corporate job in marketing. But in 1993, Mean relocated to Norway and found her artistic dreams and aspirations revitalized. 

In the late ’90s, she returned home and shared her knowledge by working as an elementary and high school art teacher. Her summer art workshops were also sought after in Davao City. In 2019, she taught college students at Philippine Women’s College of Davao. 

If there is anything she has learned, it’s to expect the unexpected. In her late 50s, Mean began to pursue a full-time career as a professional artist and, for several years now, she has been active in the Davao art scene. She has produced dozens of artworks in different mediums for art shows, including the prestigious Mindanao Art exhibitions. One of her biggest milestones include her first solo exhibit “Memoirs” in July 2022.